Thursday, October 30, 2008

Our "Genie in a Bottle" girl, Christina Aguilera will be releasing her greatest hits CD on November 11th. It will be exclusively be available at Target stores or online at www.target.com.Included in the CD are two new songs "Keeps Getting Better" (the first single) and "Dynamite".Below is the official video for "Keeps Getting Better" which will keep you dancing all night:

Ugly Betty star America Ferrara is the latest Hollywood star to publicly oppose a measure that would ban gay marriage in California.She has appeared with co-stars Tony Plana and Ana Ortiz on Spanish language TV stations in an advert for No on Prop 8.The statewide ballot on election day next Thursday seeks to overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling in May that same-sex couples are legally entitled to marry.

Internet companies Google and Apple, powerhouses of the California economy, have also backed the campaign to defeat Proposition 8.

Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg have both donated funds to No on Prop 8.

Yesterday California's senior United States Senator, Dianne Feinstein, appeared in an ad for the group. "It changes our constitution, eliminates fundamental rights, and treats people differently under the law," she said.

"We are so moved to have the strong, trusted and independent voice of Senator Feinstein joining the chorus of those voting no on 8," said No on Prop 8 Campaign Director Patrick Guerriero. "California voters know that Senator Feinstein speaks from the heart and it matters when she urges voters to reject this unfair initiative."

Earlier this week Maria Shriver, the wife of Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, publicly expressed her support for same-sex marriage in the state.

Last week a Public Policy Institute of California found Proposition 8 losing 52% to 44% among likely voters.

4% are undecided. In polls taken in August and September by the institute found double digit leads for opponents of the measure.

Proposition 8 would amend the state Constitution to "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."

In May the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in the state. The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike down the ban.

Opponents of gay marriage raised more than a million signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

An Israeli doctor says, 'medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for work in six weeks.A German doctor says, 'that is nothing, we can take a lung out of one person, and put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks.A Russian doctor says, 'in my country, medicine is so advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both looking for work in two weeks.The Texas doctor, not to be outdone says, 'You guys are way behind, we took a man with no brains out of Texas, put him in the White House for eight years, and now half of AMERICA is looking for work.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

How long does it take to remake an icon? Try five months. That's the amount of time Pepsi took to revamp its famous logo, after top executives Indra Nooyi and Massimo d'Amore called for a "quantum leap" forward in transforming the soft-drink category and defining Pepsi as a cultural leader, said Frank Cooper, Pepsi's VP-portfolio brands."We felt like, as we move out of this traditional mass marketing and mass distribution era into today's culture, there's an opportunity to bring humanity back, both in terms of the design but also in the way we engage consumers," he said. "By making the logo more dynamic and more alive ... [it is] absolutely a huge step in the right direction."And a costly one. Pepsi would not discuss what it's paying for the revamp, but experts estimate the cost for a top firm to work five months at north of $1 million. But that's just the beginning. The real cost, said an expert, is in removing the old logo everywhere it appears and putting new material up. For Coke or Pepsi, when you add up all the trucks, vending machines, stadium signage, point-of-sale materials and more around the world, it could easily tally several hundred million dollars, the expert said.The new logo is a white band in the middle of Pepsi's circle that loosely forms a series of smiles: A smile will characterize brand Pepsi, while a grin is used for Diet Pepsi and a laugh is used for Pepsi Max. The new logo is Pepsi's 11th in its 110-year history. Five logos have been introduced in the past 21 years, with the last update in 2002.Omnicom's Arnell Group was tapped to work on the redesigns, which also include Mountain Dew -- soon to be known as Mtn Dew -- and Sierra Mist. The agency already had experience working with Pepsi, having spearheaded more than 35 packaging designs for the company.Consumers won't see a new campaign for a while. Mr. Cooper said the launch isn't expected until 2009. But "when we turn the lights on, hate it or love it, you will absolutely know that Pepsi is out in the marketplace," he said.So far, branding experts are in both camps. "It's tilting the whole brand presentation from a classic expression of uniqueness and quality into something that is much more humorous, almost flippant," said Tony Spaeth, an identity consultant. "It worries me that it is less durable, less permanent and classic. It comes across as more of a campaign idea than an enduring brand expression.""This seems to be a really good solution. It feels like the same Pepsi we know and love, but it's more adventurous, more youthful, with a bit more personality to it," said Chris Campbell, executive creative director at Interbrand. "In theory, what they're doing sounds like a really clever solution to link together a family of brands."

Maria Shriver, the wife of Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, has publicly expressed her support for same-sex marriage in the state.

A ballot measure on election day, November 4th, seeks to ban gay and lesbians from getting married.

Proposition 8 has the support of church groups in California and many Republican politicians.

"I believe in people's right to choose a partner that they love, and that's a decision that I have come to, and I have felt that way for a long time," said Ms Shriver, a niece of former President John F Kennedy.

Her husband has also publicly opposed Proposition 8.Computer giant Apple has declared Prop 8 a civil rights issue and donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat it.

Google has also publicly backed gay marriage.

"We strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation," Apple said in a statement.

Last week a Public Policy Institute of California found Proposition 8 losing 52% to 44% among likely voters.

4% are undecided. In polls taken in August and September by the institute found double digit leads for opponents of the measure.

Proposition 8 would amend the state Constitution to "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."

In May the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in the state.The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike down the ban.

Opponents of gay marriage raised more than a million signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Good news! A rep for Desperate Housewives star Gale Harold reports, "[He] is out of intensive care and improving daily. A full recovery is expected. He thanks everyone for their good wishes."The actor was injured in a motorcycle accident last week. He broke his shoulder in the accident and was placed in the hospital's neurosurgical ICU for observation.Harold plays Jackson, the sexy new love interest of Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) on Desperate Housewives.

The late Hollywood star, Heath Ledger, may have suffered from bi-polar disorder, a new book about his life has claimed.

There is a history of the illness in the Ledger family with the book "Heath: A Family's Tale" revealing that one of his uncles, Haydn Ledger, has been diagnosed as bi-polar.

The claims come as photographs emerged of the late star playing a tragic clown in his final movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.Ledger was taking a break from filming the movie, directed by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam, when he died, aged 28, from an accidental overdose of prescription medication in New York last January.The book, by The Daily Telegraph reporter Janet Fife-Yeomans, reveals that friends believe Ledger's wildly fluctuating emotions, which ranged from euphoria to despair, may have been linked to bi-polar.The condition is affected by traumas such as relationship breakdowns and Ledger's mental condition deteriorated after he split up with his partner Michelle Williams, the mother of their daughter Matilda.

About three months before Heath's death, his father Kim Ledger told friends at his Perth home of concerns he had for his son's welfare after spending time with him, the book claims.

Haydn Ledger, one of Kim's three estranged brothers, said that he had only recently been told that he was bi-polar and had been undergoing psychiatric treatment."I don't mind people knowing that I have the mental illness and it is a shame that it took this long to be diagnosed," Haydn Ledger, 52, said.

The fantasy film, that lets the audience go through a magic mirror and explore their imagination, was completed after Heath's death.

William Baldwin's transsexual TV lover has dubbed the actor Hollywood's best kisser.

Candis Cayne, who plays Baldwin's "mistress" in the ABC TV hit series "Dirty Sexy Money", insists the actor throws himself into the pair's sex scenes - despite the fact she was born a man and he's all man.

Cayne says, "Billy Baldwin is a great kisser. His wife (Chynna Phillips) is a very lucky woman. Billy is a great guy inside out."

Morrissey told BBC Radio 2's Janice Long that his new album, Year of Refusal, to be released in February, is his best yet.

The image shown to the right is rumored to be the cover photo for that album.

Said the singer: "It's fantastically strong. It's very, very strong and it's interesting for me after all these years, but it's the strongest."

He also told Long he's planning an autobiography to clear up some of the "ver annoying" and "silly' stories that have been written about him over the years:

"With every printed interview, there's lots of misquotes...Lots of them are really silly and really extreme, which you have to live with the rest of your life. So it's setting the record straight...So much crap is written about me and it's quite hard to live with sometimes because it all gets burned down in history and becomes part of whatever it is you are, the legacy, and it becomes very annoying."

Apple Inc. is donating $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, which aims to end same-sex marriage in California by amending the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman."Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees' same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights -- including the right to marry -- should not be affected by their sexual orientation," the company said in a statement posted on its Web site Friday.Apple joins Google, which came out publicly against Prop. 8 last month. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page reportedly have donated a combined $140,000 to fight the measure.In revealing its support, Google officials voiced similar points, saying the company sees the issue as one of equality and is opposed to the elimination of fundamental rights."While we respect the strongly held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate any one's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love," Brin said.It is not common practice for either company to take a stand on political measures. It remains to be seen what effect the move might have on Proposition 8 supporters, who might avoid doing business with companies that oppose the measure.

The publicist for Jennifer Hudson has confirmed on Friday that the singer's mother and brother are dead after a fatal shooting in Chicago.

"We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson," Hudson's personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said in a statement. "No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time."

TMZ first reported that law enforcement sources and neighbors said that Hudson's mother and brother were the victims of a double shooting.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the deaths appeared to be the result of domestic abuse.

Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said a family member entered the home around 3 p.m. Friday, found a woman shot on the living room floor and left to notify authorities. Responding officers found a man shot in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for 7-year-old Julian King, and were seeking a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban. The child was the grandson of the female victim, Patterson said.

The alert said the child was possibly abducted, and could be accompanied by a man named William Balfour — considered armed and dangerous — who was a suspect in the double homicide investigation. Records with the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, who has not been charged with a crime, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

The two could also be in a teal or green Chrysler Concord with a temporary license plate, a left front headlight hanging out and scratches on the left side of the vehicle, police said.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled album debut and has been a top seller. She was featured in this year's blockbuster "Sex and the City" and is also starring in hit movie "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for "American Idol," which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

"My faith in God and my family, they're very realistic and very normal, they're not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that's just another place that's home," she said. "I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I'm just Jennifer, (so she says), 'You get up and you take care of your own stuff.' And I love that; I don't like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean."

Hudson recently announced her engagement to David Otunga, best known for his stint on VH1's reality show "I Love New York."

Hudson's representatives would not disclose her whereabouts Friday. She had been scheduled to appear Monday in Los Angeles to collect an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards for "The Secret Life of Bees" with co-stars including Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Seldom has a band been so eagerly awaited back, by their millions of fans around the world, than the long awaited return of international sensation, "Ace of Base".

But now the wait is over! Pop phenomena Ace of Base is back on the international music scene, this time as trio consisting of Jenny and Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg.

The band has an amazing track record and still holds the world record for of all time best selling debut album with The Sign (known internationally as "Happy Nation"). It sold over 24 million copies and went gold and platinum in over 40 countries.

In 1993, Ace of Base stayed #1 for 6 weeks on the US Billboard single and album list with The Sign and became the first non-American band ever, to go diamond with the first album.

Also in 1993 they where nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, won 2 American Music Awards, 2 Billboard Awards and 8 World Music Awards.

In 2000, both "All that She Wants" and "The Sign" ended up on Billboards top ten of the most played songs ever in America.

Ace of Base have sold almost 60 million albums and singles and have contributed songs to over 750 million sold compilation albums!

The band is currently on a hugely successful and sold out try-out tour in Eastern Europe and Asia which started in November 2007 and has shown that their following is still as strong and young as ever!

The revamped band is working on a completely new album, scheduled for release next year! In the meantime they will be releasing a greatest hits CD & DVD on November 14th. It will include remixed and rerecorded past mega hits such as "The Sign", "Don't Turn Around" and "Wheel of Fortune". This week, the remixed single of "Wheel of Forture 2009" was released on iTunes.

With an all-new line-up, re-recorded songs, new management, the new web site, their social commitment combined with a high tech vision on communication, user interaction and distribution of their music, Ace of Base is again completely in tune with their time and ready to rock the World!

The new tour will take them all over the globe and runs at least until the end of 2009. Hopefully they will be making a stop near your hometown...including the SoFla area!

I would love for all readers of "CharlieCruiser's World" to add yourself in the "CHARLIECRUISER'S FANS..." section, which is located on the right hand column of this posting, right where you see a small picture (icon) of me.

As if Tina Fey's spot-on impression of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin wasn't enough to bring viewers back to the Thursday night "Saturday Night Live" specials, Will Ferrell returned to the show as President Bush to "endorse" John McCain and Palin's campaign.Just like in real life, however, the faux McCain did all he could to distance himself from the unpopular president.

In Thursday, October 23rd special edition of SNL, Ferrell spoke about the election between McCain and Barack Obama -- both candidates, he said, that are "heavily patriotized" and "display much characterization."

He then gave his endorsement to McCain and Palin, something that they apparently didn't want. Ferrell said he was unaware that his approval ratings were low because he had several months ago declared the Oval Office a "bummer free zone."

Speaking to Fey again appearing as Palin, Ferrell informed her that her role as vice president was "the most important in the land" and that the "president can do nothing without checking with the vice president." Fey corrected him that he had it backward.

Eventually Darrell Hammond as McCain turned up to reluctantly receive the endorsement.The sketch between Ferrell and Fey was the meeting of the two of the most popular political impressions in the show's history. It might have been complete only if Chevy Chase stopped by as Gerald Ford, Dana Carvey appeared as H.W. Bush and Amy Poehler joined as Hillary Clinton.An alum to the NBC comedy show, Ferrell was the latest guest star to make an appearance on "SNL," which has seen its ratings soar this election season. Fey has become a virtual cast member again, thanks to the popularity of her Palin impression, while other surprise guests have included Chris Parnell, Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and Queen Latifah.

Ferrell, a regular on "SNL" from 1995-2006, will in January begin a solo show on Broadway titled "You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.

So remember...a vote for John McCain is a vote for George Bush. Vote for a change...Vote for Obama/Biden!

The Minogue Sisters, Kylie and Dannii, have recorded a duet of the ABBA classic "The Winner Takes It All".Rumors are circulating that this remake of one of ABBA most famous tunes (and one of my ABBA all-time favorites) will be included in Kylie's forthcoming CD.Thanks to YouTube, here's the official music recording accompanied by some old Kylie and Dannii video footage.Enjoy!

Have you ever had an episode of drunk emailing that backfired on you? Once sent, an email message cannot be “unsent” when you sober up. A new Gmail feature from Google may prevent that from happening again.When you enable "Mail Goggles" (not Google), it will check that you’re really sure you want to send that late night Friday email. And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you’re in the right state of mind?By default, Mail Goggles is only active late night on the weekend as that is the time you’re most likely to need it. Once enabled, you can adjust when it’s active in the General settings.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

The cash expenditures immediately raised questions among campaign finance experts about their legality under the Federal Election Commission's long-standing advisory opinions on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use.

Politico asked the McCain campaign for comment, explicitly noting the $150,000 in expenses for department store shopping and makeup consultation that were incurred immediately after Palin’s announcement. Pre-September reports do not include similar costs.

Spokeswoman Maria Comella declined to answer specific questions about the expenditures, including whether it was necessary to spend that much and whether it amounted to one early investment in Palin or if shopping for the vice presidential nominee was ongoing.

“The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent," she said. But hours after the story was posted on Politico's website and legal issues were raised, the campaign issued a new statement.

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

The business of primping and dressing on the campaign trail has become fraught with political risk in recent years as voters increasingly see an elite Washington out of touch with their values and lifestyles.

In 2000, Democrat Al Gore took heat for changing his clothing hues. And in 2006, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was ribbed for two hair styling sessions that cost about $3,000.

A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending. But all the spending by other candidates pales in comparison to the GOP outlay for the Alaska governor whose expensive, designer outfits have been the topic of fashion pages and magazines.

What hasn’t been apparent is where the clothes came from – her closet back in Wasilla or from the campaign coffers in Washington.

The answer can be found inside the RNC’s September monthly financial disclosure report under “itemized coordinated expenditures.” It’s a report that typically records expenses for direct mail, telephone calls and advertising. Those expenses do show up, but the report also has a new category of spending: “campaign accessories.”

September payments were also made to Barney’s New York ($789.72) and Bloomingdale’s New York ($5,102.71). Macy’s in Minneapolis, another store fortunate enough to be situated in the Twin Cities that hosted last summer’s Republican National Convention, received three separate payments totaling $9,447.71.

The entries also show two purchases at Pacifier, a top-notch baby store, suggesting $196 was spent to accommodate the littlest Palin to join the campaign trail.

An additional $4,902.45 was spent in early September at Atelier, a high-class shopping destination for men.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Recently (Volume 120, No. 38), the venerable music industry bible Billboard celebrates its 50th year of quantifying and qualifying the music industry. Their special “50th Anniversary Special Issue” is a must-have addition to any musicophile or chart student’s library. It’s a wealth of trivia, information and nostalgia.

In this special issue, Billboard released their list of The Hot 100’s hottest 100 songs of all times. The chart was tabulated based on all charting titles from August 1958 through July 2008.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

As we start approaching the holidays, the entertainment industry will start releasing great new CDs and DVDs to entice the shoppers (like me) to continue developing their CD and DVD library. Here are this week's new releases:

Mr. Blackwell, the fashion critic with a sharp tongue and a strong distaste for gaudy celebrity fashion, died on Sunday in Los Angels at the age of 86.Born Richard Sylvan Selzer in 1922, he recounted in his autobiography, “From Rags to Bitches,” a troubled, poverty-ridden childhood in which he was variously a truant, thief and prostitute.His annual worst dressed list. released every January, pulled no punches and took a pithy tone when dealing with star's fashion faux pas. His last list said Victoria "Posh" Spice "can really wreck-em" and likened Mary-Kate Olsen to a "tattered toothpick trapped in a hurricane."

Mr. Blackwell died Sunday of complications from an intestinal infection.

We'll miss his mean-spirited, but entertaining, take on celebrity fashion.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Platinum-selling recording artist Deborah Cox returns with her first new studio album in six years, THE PROMISE, to be released in November on Deco Recording Group/Image Entertainment.

The album marks the former Clive Davis protégé’s return to the world of R&B, where her hit song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," broke the record for the longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Led by the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Big Jim Wright-produced first single, "Did You Ever Love Me?,” the poignant, soulful slow-burning R&B song is a reflection on a relationship that has just ended.

Showcasing Cox’s amazing powerhouse vocals, the album features production by an all-star team of collaborators, including John Legend, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Big Jim Wright, Shep Crawford, Devo Springsteen, and the Avila Brothers.

“The R&B fans were the first to embrace me and help me get to where I am today,” says Deborah. “I have been fortunate enough to be able to explore other genres of music, but I really missed doing R&B and thought it was time to return to it.”

Some of the tracks to be featured on the album include, “All Over Me” (“It’s a very sexy song. I think it will surprise people because it explores a level of sensuality that I’ve never expressed in a song before,” Cox says); “Beautiful U R,” a mid-tempo uplifting track discussing self-love and acceptance; and “The Promise,” a beautiful, simple ballad describing where Deborah is today in her life (“It’s all about commitment to myself, my family, friends and those who have supported and been there for me,” she says).

A multi-talented entertainer, Cox has conquered the R&B and pop charts, including six top-20 Billboard R&B singles, an impressive nine #1 hits on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart and a starring role in Elton John and Tim Rice's Broadway musical, Aida.

Having also appeared in films and television, Deborah released a tribute album to the legendary Dinah Washington last year on Universal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Richard Hatch’s appeal of his conviction for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of “Survivor.”

The openly gay Hatch, 47, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison after his 2006 conviction for tax evasion in federal court in Providence. He is scheduled to be released in October 2009.

Hatch’s appeal was already denied by a federal appeals court in Boston and was among more than a thousand rejected last week by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court did not explain its reasoning.

“He’s disappointed with the decision,” Hatch’s attorney, Michael Minns, said Wednesday. “He’s been worried about his family and taking care of them the entire time.”

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island, which prosecuted Hatch, did not comment Wednesday.

Hatch, of Newport, argued in his appeal that a judge improperly barred him from raising allegations of cheating during the taping of the hit CBS show and from explaining why he believed the producers would pay his taxes for him.

During the trial, Minns told U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres outside the jury’s presence that Hatch had caught show employees smuggling food to other contestants during taping in Borneo in 2000. He said a producer promised him his taxes would be paid if he kept quiet and went on to win the competition, a claim CBS has strongly denied.

Besides his “Survivor” winnings, Hatch also was convicted of evading taxes on $327,000 he earned as co-host of a Boston radio show and $28,000 in rent on property he owed.

He was acquitted of seven bank, mail and wire fraud charges that related to his charity, Horizon Bound, an outdoors program he planned to open for troubled youth.

A 29-year-old Michigan man has been arrested after police caught him in the act of having sex with a vacuum cleaner at a local car wash.

The name of the man involved in the quarter-a-minute hosefest was not released by authorities. The incident took place in Thomas Township, which is located about 90 miles north of Detroit.

Police were summoned to the car wash after receiving a call of suspicious activity. Upon approaching on foot, the responding officer caught the man in the act. The man is being held in the Saginaw County jail.

Madonna's friends have nicknamed her husband Material Guy because of his alleged cash demands ahead of their divorce.The Sun told last week how British film director Guy Ritchie informed lawyers that he wanted “not one penny” from his mega-rich missus as their eight-year marriage ends.

But furious Madge — who had an Eighties hit with Material Girl — insists that in reality he is determined to take her to the cleaners.

And the 50-year-old superstar believes all he was ever after during their marriage was a slice of her almost $600 million fortune.

Queen of Pop Madonna, who famously follows the mystical Jewish religion Kabbalah, told a friend: “I’m totally devastated that Guy’s turned out to be such a gold-digger. I thought we’d been on a spiritual journey together for the past ten years — but obviously I was wrong. He’s just after my money. I’ve worked my ass off for the last 30 years to get what I have, and now this gold-digger wants to take it from me."

“Kabbalah philosophy teaches that you don’t take what you haven’t earned. Well that’s exactly what Guy is doing. He hasn’t earned a penny of it, yet wants to take, take, take. He keeps upping his demands — he just wants more, and more, and more from me. It’s unbelievable.”

It has been reported that 40-year-old Guy — director of hit films Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels — has his own fortune of around $50 million. But pals of Madonna insisted he is a tightwad. One said: “If he’s meant to be worth millions, then Madonna’s never seen a penny of it."

“He’s never contributed towards the running of the family and his son’s schooling. Contrary to the image being projected, Madonna’s been the rock of the family. She’s the one who has the kids with her at all times. They are home-schooled and they go on the road with her.”

Guy’s relations with his wife worsened in August after an incident involving Lourdes, her 12-year-old daughter by a previous relationship with Carlos Leon. The Brit made a comment about the youngster “becoming a woman” after taking her out for lunch.

Lourdes, dubbed Lola by her mother, began crying and refused to speak to Guy afterwards. A pal said: “Guy made a flippant comment that Lola was beginning to grow boobs. She’s at a sensitive age and burst into tears — screaming at Guy for embarrassing her.

“When Lola told her mother she hit the roof. Guy was in the bad books for ages.

“He had a good relationship with Lola, but the more time she spent with her real dad Carlos Leon recently, the more she has grown apart from Guy. He was beginning to find it difficult to deal with her, calling her ‘a little madam’.”

The future of the couple’s children — Lourdes, Rocco (8), and three-year-old David Banda will be another major issue in the divorce.

Recent criticism of Madonna’s parenting skills has hurt her deeply. She prides herself on raising the children properly and is unashamed of being strict with them. The pal said: “The kids are polite, unspoiled and charming — she’s a great mother.

“What is so wrong with her wanting to make sure her kids don’t eat unhealthy foods like sugar and sausages? It’s ridiculous for people to be attacking her for that.”

Madonna intends to get primary custody of the kids — and to move permanently to New York. Guy will get joint custody, but she intends to dig her heels in and make him do the travelling to see them.

The couple, who have a rural retreat in Ashcombe, Wilts, reached an interim agreement in principal for a financial settlement last Friday. Details are still being thrashed out.

Guy’s camp are insisting he is NOT a gold-digger — pointing out that, had he wanted, he could have got more than five times the figure involved. They put that sum at around $60 million of property. But Madonna’s camp disputes the figure — insisting her husband is after much more than that.

One source added: “The divorce is not a done deal yet. Guy will definitely keep Ashcombe and he gets the cash equivalent of all their London properties and the Punchbowl pub, which was always his anyway.

“He’s now seeking to buy an apartment in New York so he can spend time with Rocco, David and Lola.”

The separation has confirmed in Madonna’s mind that it is time to turn her back on England.She told a friend: “There are lots of things about England that I love, but my husband isn’t one of them.” She insists it was her decision to end the marriage. He says it was his.

Guy has claimed he called time on the couple’s marriage because he was sick of his wife’s obsession with Kabbalah. In a telling interview revealed last night, he shrugged when asked about Madonna and her faith. “I don’t really understand Kabbalah as a religion,” Guy told the TV show Extra at the Toronto International Film Festival last month.

He continued: “I don’t think it’s a religion as far as I’m aware.”

After revealing he planned to make a documentary on Kabbalah, he again shrugged his shoulders when asked if Madonna would be helping him.

Sources added that “Madonna’s friends simply dislike Guy. They hear all her complaints about him and have turned on him in a vicious way. They see him as a boozing Brit who is always hanging about with his mates.”

The Sun, a UK based newspaper, broke a string of world exclusives last week — including news the couple were finally going to announce their divorce in public.

Madonna later took an onstage swipe at Guy, telling fans in Boston, Mass, that her song Miles Away was for the “emotionally retarded”. She repeated the blast in Toronto on Saturday as she began the Canadian leg of her world tour.

Ellen DeGeneres has bought $100,000 of TV airtime in California to ask the state's voters to support gay marriage.Ellen is one of several high profile Hollywood stars to get married in California after the State Supreme Court decided in May that gay and lesbian couples could do so legally.

In her TV ads Ellen, who came out as a lesbian in real life and in her sitcom Ellen in 1997, says that the supporters of a ban on gay marriage are "twisting the truth."

Proposition 8 is an initiative measure on the 2008 California General Election ballot on November 4th. It would amend the state Constitution to "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."

In May the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in the state. The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike down the ban.

Opponents of gay marriage raised more than a million signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.

Following her wedding to actress Portia de Rossi in August, Ellen made a plea to other Californian's to vote no to the proposition.

"I got to do something this year I never thought I’d ever be able to do. I got married. It was the happiest day of my life," she said. "There are people out there raising millions of dollars to try and take that right away from me. You’ve seen their ads on TV. They’re twisting the truth, and they’re trying to scare you."

"I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not. Please, please, vote NO on Prop. 8."

Several celebrities have donated money to the campaign to reject Proposition 8 including the mayor of LA Antonio Villaraigoso, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Pete Wentz and TR Knight.

When Ellen DeGeneres came out eleven years ago in an episode of her self-titled sitcom, she made history, scored a ratings landslide and almost instantly became a target of the Christian Right. Her series was cancelled a year later due to sagging ratings.

DeGeneres appeared on the April 14th 1997 cover of Time magazine with the headline, "Yep, I'm Gay."Her onscreen character, Ellen Morgan came out during the April 30th 1997, episode of the ABC sitcom Ellen. The episode went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing.

Ellen currently starts in a own talk show "Ellen" which is syndicated throughout the US.

You've spent a hard day on the road, driving as fast as you can from the life you lead. It's all gone wrong and you don't know where to turn, but you can feel your eyes closing as you slowly drift in and out of consciousness and you know that if you don't sleep soon you'll just be another statistic in tomorrow morning's newspapers.

You pull over at the first motel you see, paying little attention to the empty car park or the ominous house on the hill casting its menacing black shadow. What you need is a nice relaxing shower - don't worry about the hole bored into the wall, the manager just likes to keep a close eye on things - but what's this? There's blood all over the floor - the shower curtain is bundled up on the tiles soaking in a puddle of what can only be. . . . Mother? MOTHER! And then you wake up.

It's OK, you're at home but maybe you shouldn't have stayed up all night watching Hitchcock - you'd better take a shower and get ready for work. All you need to do now is figure out why there are bloody hand prints all over the shower curtain? It was just a dream wasn't it? Mwahahahahahahaha.

It’s been reported that millionaire baseball player Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez, 33, and Madonna, 50, have a ongoing romance. Sources say Madonna's relationship with A-Rod was the cause for her recent divorce announcement.Madonna and her director husband Guy Ritchie officially announced their divorce last week.

The UK’s Daily Mail has reported that A-Rod will be buying a $70 million New York penthouse apartment two blocks from Madonna's NYC home.As for Madonna and Guy’s divorce settlement, her representative Liz Rosenberg has told the AP: “I will not be commenting on the various reports regarding the divorce or of the settlement which has not been finalized.”

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Saturday, October 18th, we were treated to a double Palin (like we don't have enough with one airhead in this world) when Sarah "I wanna be VP" Palin (the Hockey mom from hell) appeared on Satury Night Live alongside with Tina Fey (who does a better Palin than Palin).

Amendment 2 does nothing to protect marriage. But it does take away important family protections, health care insurance, hospital visitation and medical decision-making authority, from all unmarried couples, gay and straight.It permanently bans civil unions and dismantles domestic partner benefits that seniors, teachers, police officers and firefighters rely on in more than 18 communities across the state.Take action right now to oppose this amendment.Come on Floridians VOTE NO ON 2 during the November 4th Election.

It was only Wednesday when Madonna and Guy Ritchie announced they were divorcing, and already they've reportedly reached a decision on how much money Madonna will have to pay.The Sun is reporting that Ritchie, 40, will get about $40 million in cash, a 1,200-acre country estate and a London pub, all told worth about $60 million.A source close to the couple told The Sun that the director and pop icon, 50, agreed on the terms quickly. “The negotiations were relatively painless. Guy knew what he wanted and Madonna knew what she was keen to keep," the source said.The report says there hasn't been an agreement on custody of the couple's three children.Madonna is being represented by the same attorney who protected Paul McCartney's fortune during his split from Heather Mills.Get the rest of the details at The Sun.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday, October 19th that he will be voting for Senator Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign.""He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Obama displayed a steadiness. Showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive way of doing business that will do us well," Powell said.

Powell, a retired U.S. general and a Republican, was once seen as a possible presidential candidate himself.

Powell said he questioned Sen. John McCain's judgment in picking Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate because he doesn't think she is ready to be president.

He also said he was disappointed with some of McCain's campaign tactics, such as bringing up Obama's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

Powell served as secretary of state under President Bush from 2001 to 2005.

Freshen up that killer drink with a round from the AK Bullet Ice Tray! Pour some water into the AK Ice Tray, freeze then enjoy your beverage with a few ice cold Bullets from an AK-47 Gun. Maybe you got an 'acquaintance' coming around for a drink, put a few AK ice bullet rounds in and maybe then he will take you seriously?

The AK Ice Bullet Tray comes in two parts, fill one part with water until it reaches the top then place the next half on-top, press down then set in the freezer to create some cool and very realistic looking AK bullets. Sure to raise a few eyebrows at parties!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Eileen Herlie, a stage and TV actress who appeared on All My Children for more than three decades as the motherly Myrtle Fargate, has died at 90. Herlie died Wednesday, October 8th of pneumonia, said Julie Hanan Carruthers, the ABC soap opera's executive producer.

The actress joined the long-running show in 1976 to play Myrtle, who became the surrogate mother to many of the soap's major characters, including Erica Kane, portrayed by Susan Lucci.

"I'm sure Eileen is lighting up the sky's in heaven with her flaming red hair and lovely Scottish accent," Lucci said. "The earth's loss is heaven's gain!"

Herlie's last appearance on the program was in June.

Before joining All My Children, Herlie was a regular on Broadway. She made her debut in Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker in 1955, playing milliner Irene Molloy in the comedy, which starred Ruth Gordon as Dolly Gallagher Levi.

Meet "Equus" actor Lorenzo Pisoni, of whom Daniel Radcliffe said, "If I was gay or a female, I'd just want to marry him. He's gorgeous, and he's a really cool bloke as well."

"Honestly, I think he was trying to embarrass me," says Pisoni, who plays both horse and rider in Peter Shaffer's 1973 drama. The play stars Radcliffe, the crown prince of the Potter film franchise, as a tormented teen.

"It's crazy how it spread," Pisoni adds. "I've heard from a lot of friends I've not heard from in ages, mocking me and congratulating me on my possible nuptials."

It can't be easy trotting across a stage with a 19-year-old, 130-pound superstar on your shoulders, but somebody has to do it. And it's just as well that somebody is Pisoni, a former Cirque du Soleil ringmaster and acrobat who stands 6-foot-7 in his hooves.

"My father's a clown - literally, a clown," the 31-year-old said the other day, over a heaping bowl of pasta ("We horses are the Michael Phelpses of Broadway").

As the son of the founders of San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus, Pisoni started doing "bits" at age 2, when he wandered out onstage with a beat-up top hat, toy bowling pins and a suitcase.

He was in good company: Bill Irwin was a Pickle person too, becoming young Lorenzo's unofficial godfather. Years later, Irwin helped Pisoni land a manager in New York. He acted as "comedy consultant" to Matthew Broderick and David Arquette, whom he taught "the basics of tripping."

Given all the fancy footwork Pisoni has to do in "Equus" - on a moving stage, no less, in an aluminum mask and 7-inch metal "hooves" - he has worked hard on not tripping, especially when Radcliffe, his heels dug into stirrups around Pisoni's waist, is on his back.

"The other night, Dan got his foot stuck in my harness, and my instinct to hold his leg was probably not the wisest thing," Pisoni says, ruefully.

"With people seated on the stage, we couldn't say anything, but he tapped my back, like, 'Let go of me,' and his message came through loud and clear . . .

"He's fantastic," Pisoni adds. "Very sharp, well-read and with a wicked sense of humor. [The show] is not about him, it's about us."

That said, he adds, "I don't want to be known as the guy who dropped Harry Potter."

Pop star Elton John has announced that he will be writing a new musical film about AIDS for actor and director Ben Stiller.

The singer wrote the scores for the stage adaption of Billy Elliot in 2005, and Broadway version of The Lion King, and is now branching out into more controversial material.

John told GQMen.Style that the musical is "about a guy on Broadway who is gay, has HIV and AIDS, and has to go back and face his wife and kids that he left.

"It's very funny. The premise doesn't sound funny, but it is. Alright?"

When asked about his attitude towards musicals generally, John said that he was not usually a fan of the genre. He said:

"I like some of the classic ones.

"'West Side Story,' for me, is the greatest musical ever written. But I don’t like forced fun."I’m more drawn to tragedy than 'Let’s all have a great time,' and I’m not keen on the music in musicals sometimes.

"I’m quite fussy about it. I don’t really like them unless I’m involved in them, for some reason."(Article from Pink News)

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